Untitled for now
by e l l e1
Summary: A suggested prequel to Tim Burton's 2001 remake, which gives a bit of history to the ape characters in the movie. A work in progress.
1. Default Chapter

**Code  
B.C. = Battle of Calima**

-10 years B.C.

**PROLOGUE**

_"We are all alike, on the inside."_ -Mark Twain

Twilight.

The twin suns that, hours ago, loomed above the skies and had flared its bright rays upon the lush tropical terrains of the planet was now no more than a speck of light shrouded by the appoaching dark. The air was dry, still, quiet, and certainly peaceful - to anybody seeking solace or wishing to get away from the hustling city life, this was the perfect day to do so. 

The humming of nocturnal insects sound as they begin to awaken. But for everyone else, the day is just ending.

Ape City, the capital, was known to be the jewel of the planet. Only located within several miles of Calima, the holy grounds where the first ape, Semos, originated, it was known to be the main center of commerce and entertainment. During the day, apes would come far and wide to trade and establish their business; after dusk everyone would either retreat to their houses or take part in the nightlife which goes on outside.

Ape City was also the center of government. Many politicians (or at least any who were important) resided in this metropolis and dominated the social scene. Such include Governor Cato, Chancellor Adair, Senators Nado, Kateb, and Sandar. The other important figureheads living in Ape City were the army officials, but they lived slightly further away from the city, nearer to the training grounds.

_Sizzle--crack!_

The warm light given off from the fireplace in Senator Sandar's house illuminated the main room and casted orange hues to everything it touched. The room was nearly empty, save for a young female ape who quietly sat before the hearth of dancing flames, dreaming, thinking...

A loud voice cut into her thoughts. "Ari!"

Ari immediately sat up, looking for the source of the voice. Sandar, nearing forty now, quietly came into the room with his hands behind his back in a contemplative manner. The old ape looked at his fourteen-year old daughter, whose dark eyes merely looked right back up at him. There was a certain unquestionable intelligence in her eyes, young as she may be--and no matter how dark they are, there was always a charming brightness about them. Every ape that knew Sandar's daughter always told him that she has lovely eyes, along with the other compliments about her admirable behavior and winning personality. Sandar smiled proudly, in spite of himself. No doubt she would attract many males in her future.

_If only she weren't so stubborn_, he sighed. Although obedient in most cases she had a will like her mother's. She never seemed to back down on any of her beliefs and would stop at nothing until the other person gave in. Females were suppose to be submissive in society; it is expected from them. Apparently Ari, to her disadvantage, thought herself as an exception to the rule.

"Yes, Papa?" the little voice chimed.

"My dear, what are you doing sitting there on the floor staring at the fire? Why don't you do something constructive?"

Sandar started to notice a pout forming on her lips, an obvious show of unhappiness and a hidden message that begged for pity. "I want to go outside..."

"No, Ari. It is getting too dark -- I don't want you to be out there alone. Even if you had friends with you, I don't want you to go outside." Sandar often wondered why his daughter had hardly any female companions, especially at this age. Chimps, after all, are known to be very social, and would rather stay with other chimps and apes in a collective group. True, he refused to let the girl go beyond their property, but there was always the seminary, where Ari went for her education. She was in a class full of apes like her. This was perplexing: if his daughter had a such well-liked personality, why wouldn't there be friends? 

The pout started to deepen, and Sandar's own resolution nearly faltered. The ape had to say something to keep from changing his mind. He thought of the threat that scared her most: "If you go out there now, the savage humans will kidnap you, and you will never see me again!" It was a detestable way to dissuade the poor child from disobeying him, but he had no other choice. "Do you want that to happen?"

Ari no longer seemed so upset--in fact, the look on her face was more of terror now. "No!"

"Very well. Go into your room and attend to your studies. The commander and his student should be here any minute now."

"Yes, Papa." The little chimp quickly scampered to her room.

The senator looked after his retreating daughter and sighed. _Children._

Ari's room was quite large and comfortable. In fact, it was her room that had the best view of the mountain chain beyond Ape City. The balcony, which overlooked the gardens and the central piazza of the town, had certainly been the window to the world. Adorning her room weren't flowers, or paintings, or even dolls, but instead were collections of human treasures. 

Yes, Ari was afraid of the wild humans (after hearing all the horrifying tales about those animals snatching away young apes from their parents), but nonetheless they fascinated her to no end. After attending ape seminary she would be escorted home by one of the servants. Along the journey home she would almost always find a souvenier once belonging to the humans, who must've dropped it accidently while fleeing the soldiers who'd collect them for Limbo, the local slave seller. One of the artifacts she found had been a ring carefully crafted from some sort of black stone which grew near the mountains. How strange, she always thought, that something so beautiful can be created from such savage beings.

Her mother, who died years ago, was the one who told her never to base a character on how they look, but how they are on the inside, which goes for all humans and apes alike. While grooming her daughter, she would always remind Ari of the fact. Her father, whose opinions were always neutral when it came to this topic, shrugged it off nonchalantly. As long as they didn't disrupt the community or the government, he wouldn't care.

Ari stood on the balcony, relishing the beauty of the atmosphere. All these years she has been kept inside by her overprotective father, forbidden to go out by herself beyond the boundaries of their house. And with her father, she never crossed the borders of Ape City, never had a chance to look at the world outside. If Ape City was such a large place, imagine what lies beyond it...

Suddenly, disobeying her father seemed to be tempting.

No one would notice if she escaped for a few minutes, would they? Her father was talking to Commander Altair and his student, the former governor's son, Thade, right now, and was probably too preoccupied to even think about his daughter. The servants, in the meanwhile, were outside and busy attending to the guests. 

Ari smiled--this was set up perfectly.

After checking for guards on the ground, she suddenly leaped out onto a large branch near her balcony. The rough bark of the tree scratched her hands when she clung to it, but she wasn't hurt--chimpanzees were born to climb. Luckily, no one was around when one of the tree limbs cracked beneath her foot and fell to the ground, making a loud _thud_ as it crashed onto the dirt floor. The horses roped to the tree stirred, but they weren't heard by anyone.

As she landed on the floor, Ari turned around to her home once more and paused. For a moment, she was having second thoughts. _Is this worth it?_ She cringed to even wonder what her father might do to her if he ever found out she left the house after he said no... Would he ban her from ever setting foot outside the house again? Forbid her to even leave her room?

The doubt _only_ lasted for a minute.

Her mind was made up. Ari ran toward the opposite direction as fast as she could until the house was no longer in sight.

There was no moonlight tonight, but the stars were exceptionally brilliant. Normally Ari was not afraid of the dark; however, she had always been surrounded by family and others. This is the first time she was ever by herself--and frankly, she did not like the feeling. It hadn't been too hard to get lost... in fact, several turns through narrow alleys did the trick, and now the young chimpanzee was confused. It's been a half an hour already, yet the question as to which direction is home remains unanswered.

It wasn't before long when she came upon a stone barrier that stretched on for miles. Two alert ape guards were posted at the gates where the main entrance was, stoically keeping watch upon their horses. Ari was immediately fascinated. There were two entrances to Ape City, and this was the one she hasn't seen yet. Her father always told her no sensible ape child ever went beyond this border, nor would they want to. _What could possibly be outside?_ she couldn't help but wonder. Obviously it was time to find out.

Hiding behind a large tree she picked up a rock underneath her foot and threw it as far as possible away from her. The guards, sensing trouble, rode toward the noise, where the pebble Ari threw landed in a bush. Nobody was at the gates now--it was the chance to make a move....

On all fours, Ari hurried toward the entrance.

_To be continued..._

**No, this is not the end of the prologue - there's actually more, but I need to brainstorm a bit. Thade (another principle character) will be coming into the picture in the next installment, but Leo, Daena, and the rest of the human characters will appear near the end of this storyl, where the movie picks up. Hopefully this fiction will provide some history of the characters and fill in the gaps that the movie left out. Feel free to review - thanks for reading!


	2. Prologue Continued

**Prologue Continued...**

It was only a half moon tonight, but the stars were exceptionally brilliant. Normally Ari was not afraid of the dark; however, she had always been surrounded by family and others. This is the first time she was ever by herself--and frankly, she did not like the feeling. It hadn't been too hard to get lost... in fact, several turns through narrow alleys did the trick, and now the young chimpanzee was confused. It's been a half an hour already, yet the question as to which direction is home remains unanswered.

It wasn't before long when she came upon a stone barrier that stretched on for miles. Two alert ape guards were posted at the gates where the main entrance was, stoically keeping watch upon their horses. Ari was immediately fascinated. There were two entrances to Ape City, and this was the one she hasn't seen yet. Her father always told her no sensible ape child ever went beyond this border, nor would they want to. _What could possibly be outside, then?_ she couldn't help but wonder. Obviously it was time to find out.

Hiding behind a large tree she picked up a rock underneath her foot and threw it as far as possible away from her. The guards, sensing trouble, rode toward the noise, where the pebble Ari threw landed in a bush.

Nobody at the gates now--it was the chance to make a move...

On all fours, Ari hurried toward the entrance.

* * *

Mirem, a young human female, stared wistfully into the fire that she had made for herself. Strangled locks of dark brown hair fluttered before the enormous eyes that flickered with the flames as the cooling wind blew against her face. She remembered nights like this. She remembered how her entire family would gather in a circle around the fire on summer evenings, to share food and stories. She remembered the nightly hunts, where the men of the tribe, including her father and older brother, would celebrate before setting out for quarry. She remembered how her mother would sing so sweetly to her when she was a child, no taller than a young sapling. How the images of her loved ones flashed so vividly in her mind now... how she longed to fight with her older brother again, to be kissed by her mother and held by her father... 

But no--they were all dead. Memories were all she had left of them. That, and her father's necklace made from the abalone shells along the beach they once lived near.

She always wore it, since the day she took it from his dull and lifeless body lying upon the jungle grounds. Mangled by apes so it seemed. The shaman had examined the corpse and concluded, by the fracture in the spinal chord, that no human hands could have done so much damage. To make matters worse, Mother and Damek, who had both been looking for fruits to harvest, had been missing that day, as well. Only she and her little brother, Kip, remained with the tribe.

It turned out that the slave hunters had caught them all, but only Father put up a fight, unsuccessfully, in order to save the family. The outcome had not been to his advantage.

Taking a straw basket into her arms, Mirem looked about the forest cautiously, in case there were predators lurking about. Or worse, apes. She sniffed the air a few times, trying to catch any dangerous scents from the wind. When her senses reassured her safety, she proceeded in collecting berries for tomorrow's meal. Her tribe had warned her about going out alone beyond the borders of their land, nevermind in the middle of the night, that the "beasts" would be out to get her. She would never see her people again, the elders had said.

But the girl didn't care - her tribe, whom she now considered the only family she has, were hungry tonight. No, _starving_. Ever since the apes had taken over and gradually expanded into their territory, the food supply had been diminishing rapidly over the years. Her species had been hunted out, and for what reason? Who knew. There were only a few dozen left, in a clan that use to flourish in the hundreds, and so little space for them to live. She had to gather food.

Her basket had been only half full when she heard a scuffling noise in the background. Mirem, with the reflexes of a wildcat, spun around and grabbed the hilt of her weapon, a small flint knife. She warily scanned her surroundings, prepared to attack anything that moved. When nothing stirred for the next minute, she stepped back in confusion. Perhaps she had been imagining things?

_Snap!_

Next to her, the branch of an old tree broke and fell into the lake -- along with its occupant. A small creature gave a pathetic yelp as it -or _she_?- fell into the lake. It was too dark to see what or who it was - Mirem could only stare in amazement.

"Help!" cried the voice. After a second, she finally saw a head and two arms thrashing wildly about in the cold water. Apparently, it was a young female... _chimp_?

Instincts told the human girl to run towards the other direction as fast as possible. After all, what if there had been other apes with her? If she continues crying like this, then no doubt they would soon arrive. Mirem's life was in danger.

Grabbing her basket of berries, she ran as fast as she could. But the little ape's voice still followed and carried into the night.

"I can't swi--!" A gargled pause, as if she went under water. "Please! Help!" The young ape was apparently in serious trouble, and she was the only one closest to save her.

Mirem stopped in her tracks and hesitantly looked back. It was now deafeningly quiet. From what she could see from the moon's reflection upon the water, there were only ripples in the lake. The little ape was no longer visible.

Whether it was her conscience or plain stupidity that made her run back, she did not know. Mirem found herself running towards the lake again where the drowning chimpanzee had been. With a deep breath, she dived into the lake and swam blindly into the dark waters - how cold it was! Groping about, she struggled to find some sign of life, while her small lungs were soon on fire from the lack of oxygen. Luckily, it wasn't long before she felt a hairy hand brush against her own smooth skin. Grabbing it, she quickly swam towards the dim moonlight.

* * *

The last thing she remembered was the clumsy slip of her hand as she missed a branch while climbing. Then coldness. And darkness. 

Ari moaned and stirred. _What happened? _The young ape opened her eyes and felt something slimy on her arms - was she covered with seaweed? When she looked up, everything made sense again.

A young human girl with dark hair and a thin frame stared back at her with the same intensity and wariness. A covering, perhaps a cloak of some sort, was wrapped around her shoulders. It was awfully dark; there wasn't anything else much extinguishable about this creature except for the beautiful shell necklace that she wore.

Ari sat up. "You--you saved me?"

Apparently startled, the human jumped back and flashed her weapon in an instant. But it was in a defensive position, rather than threatening. Ari kept talking, "Can you understand my words, human?"

The blade continued to reside in her hands, although the level in which she was holding it was noticeably lowered. A quiet answer: "Yes."

"Why?" When no reply came this time, merely a cautious and direct stare, Ari repeated herself. "Why did you rescue me?"

A moment passed between them. In the meanwhile, the winds grew stronger and blew against the trees, causing them to sway very dramatically. A storm was imminent. Then, the girl seemed like she mouthed the answer. "I don't know."

"Mirem!"

Suddenly, from the corner of her eyes, three wild looking humans appeared before them both. They were all tall, appearing to be warriors from some sort of tribe. And they had weapons. Very sharp looking weapons. One of them looked at Ari with unmistaken hatred. "An ape!"

"No!" the human girl cried as he reached for his spear. "Please!"

At that very moment, in a near twist and turn of fate, a very familiar _roar_ was heard in the background, sending all four humans scattering into the depths of the forest. Ari looked up and soon found herself face to face with one of her father's guards.

"Are you all right?"

Ari could only nod dumbly.

"Come. Your father is worried, as are his friends."

_Great.

* * *

_

Ari looked on as the the two senators and commander vehemently denounced the humans who, in their minds, nearly "abducted the poor little girl and killed her." The commander's student, though not uttering a word as a sign of respect, looked on with much interest as his superiors prattled on. For the first time ever Ari was looking at the young ape soldier up close - though he did not seem to notice her. Her father mentioned him several times before with high praises, and she could see why. From what she heard, he was a brilliant student who excelled in the ape army--in fact, rumors were that another year would be all it takes for him to become promoted in the army. It was no surprise, after all; all his ancestors were known to be leaders, whether in politics or the military. His father had been the former governor of the city, and it is a known fact to nearly everyone that his respectable lineage dates thousands of years back to the first ape, Semos, the most holy figure in simian history.

Ari felt herself flush in front of the soldier--though she normally kept her mind off males and onto her studies, she was somehow attracted to him. And strangely enough it seemed natural, even though he was a bit older. From what she can speculate, he was probably seven or eight years her senior. She heard chatter from her female classmates about the newest addition to the army once in a while, how their fathers mentioned he would rise up to become a powerful figure in society. There was little doubt, in her mind, that it would happen.

Once again she studied his face.

Though he had a good built, his facial features did not impress her in the slightest bit. It had nothing to do with the appearance, but rather the amount of warmth in his expression... or lack thereof. His eyes seemed to be devoid of any emotional depth, and was rather cold and hard. He certainly had the poise of a leader, but with a face of stone.

"We should build stronger barriers between the city and the outside to ensure that this event will not occur again! There are too many children at risk," the old commander declared.

"Perhaps we should post more guards at the gates as well..."

This was getting ridiculous, Ari finally decided. She was all right now, isn't that all that mattered? If she mentioned her human friend, Mirem, maybe the tension in the room would ease a little bit...

"What is your opinion, Thade?" Commander Altair asked.

Everyone grew quiet and all attention turned to the chimp standing in the corner seemingly apart from everyone else in the room. As if to dramatize the moment, he looked around the room, paused for a few seconds before giving his opinion.

"With all due respect, sirs, my father always told me no stone wall will ever protect the city from the savage beings. Effective action should be taken swiftly at any cost."

Somehow, that statement chilled Ari right to the bones. It hadn't just been the way he (or his father?) worded it, but the way he said it... The others had been uncomfortable as well, for the room suddenly turned even more silent than before, if possible.

Her father was the first to move. "Easier said than done, my boy..."

"That is right," Senator Kateb agreed. "There are simply too many of them, and they don't reside just in Ape City, as well. How can we solve the human problem when they outnumber us by a large margin?"

The gorilla commander snorted contempuously, glaring at the senators who suddenly looked flustered. "Surely you are not suggesting we do nothing about them?"

"Well... something _will_ be done, I suppose..."

"The sooner the better. Humanity is a disease which must be eradicated. Your daughter will continue to be at risk if we let them run rampant on our soil."

Ari, long forgotten in her little corner of the room, finally spoke up, "But not all humans are bad! One of them saved me from drowning in the lake by the marsh." Now the attention was turned toward the child ape, whose large eyes were ready to challenge anyone who was willing to argue. While her father looked startled at this revelation, the commander seemed as if he was ready to burst out laughing at her assertion about not all humans being bad. Thade and Kateb, in the meanwhile, stared at the girl as if she grew another head.

"A human saving an ape? Hardly credible," Kateb mouthed.

"Perhaps you were lucky that a strong wind current blew you to shore while you were unconscious," Altair, who wore an amused smile, offered.

Ari shook her head. "No, I wasn't unconscious. It was a human that saved me, a human girl with the name of Mirem."

"So, this human has a name, eh?" the gorilla laughed. "Quite ridiculous for such uncivilized vermin. I suppose they will eventually teach _us_ proper mannerisms and behavior."

Everyone laughed at the comment except for Sandar's daughter and Thade, who continued to wear a stony expression. Ari sighed. Why were they being so unreasonable? Sometimes one had to wonder who acted like the mature ape and who acted like the juvenile. No one ever took her seriously. Maybe her father would understand? "Papa..." she pleaded.

But Sandar didn't seem to alleviate her peace of mind--all he did was send a single glare that told her she should not say any further. "It is getting late," he said. "We will finish this another night--my daughter is safe and that is all that matters for now."

"But--"

"Ari, go to sleep. I will talk with you in the morning."

Ari, frustrated and without saying another word, stormed off to her quarters. There was a brief pause as glances were thrown about the room.

"Your daughter is quite... naive in her view of life," Kateb curiously commented.

"I'm afraid so," Sandar sighed. He trotted across the room and lit another hanging lantern. "But I don't understand... She had always been afraid of humans. I don't know why she would start defending them now..."

"She will see the truth, eventually, for what those humans are really worth."

From that point on, no one uttered a sound. Sandar, with his hands behind his back, moved under the large straw canopy covering the balcony and stood staring outside in a contemplative manner. The commander, Thade, and Kateb all looked at the solemn figure and at each other. Altair simply shook his head.

* * *

In another part of the house, Ari stood staring outside as well, pondering. Her brows furrowed in a sign of agitation. She couldn't help but wonder: why must the grown-ups have such strong feelings against the humans? And why did her father tell her all those untrue stories about humans kidnapping ape children? For all her life, she always feared humans and never bothered to care about their treatment by ape society. Whenever she saw a human being punished by their master, she always thought that, whatever the crime may be, they deserved it. 

Now, after Mirem saving her and watching her father, along with his colleagues, verbally display their hatred of mankind, she started to think otherwise. Her mother was right: not everyone is so different from one another.


	3. CHAPTER 1

-3 years B.C.

**CHAPTER I**

_"How glorious it is--and also how painful--to be an exception."_  
-Alfred de Musset

Sandar awaited anxiously at the doorstep of his house, pacing about like an impatient child. The last time anybody had ever seen Ari was years ago, before she left for the high ape seminary, a boarding school located in a jungle many miles from Ape City.

She was finally coming home today.

The senator had been waiting there for nearly twenty minutes--his daughter was suppose to arrive within the next ten. The welcoming party hadn't been very large; it only consisted of himself and his two new human servants.

It wasn't before long when he could hear the sound of hooves pounding furiously against the soft grounds. He knew who it was.

The three horses carrying apes came to a full stop. His daughter was atop the chestnut mare. His personal ape servant, Talos, leapt off his black stallion and held out a hand to Ari.

As she stepped off her horse, Sandar took the time for observation. How lovely she has grown the last four years, he mused, a near likeness of her mother in almost every sense. Like most ape children, she had been physically awkward at a young age, though she had beautiful eyes. Now, this fragile flower had suddenly bloomed into a rare and exotic figure. It is somewhat depressing how fast time flies by... How old is she now? Twenty? Twenty-one?

Ari casually brushed off the dirt on her arms; she _really_ disliked riding horses at times. When she lifted her gaze to see her father, her eyes immediately brightened and a wide smile appeared on her face. She walked up to him.

"Father," she acknowledged.

Sandar gently placed his hands upon her shoulders and said nothing for a moment, simply gazing at her in a loving manner. He then pulled her into an embrace. "Ari... how much you've grown. It is good to see you again after so long."

Ari held her father tight, and replied, "I've missed you, too... Nothing has been the same without you." She pulled herself from Sandar's arms and noticed the human servants, who now had their heads bowed, for the first time. "Hello..."

"What are you waiting for?" Sandar demanded them and pointed his finger toward her bags. "Take them to her room."

As the humans quickly snapped to attention, Ari was quick to defend them and snatched the bags into her own hands. Talos gaped at her, as the two humans looked at their empty hands and suddenly looked lost. "Your service is not necessary, thank you," Ari gently informed them. She turned her attention to her father, who, like his servant, stared at her with wide eyes. "Let's go inside. I have so much to tell you about the seminary!"

Ari wasted no time and went into the house with arms full; the two servants immediately followed her. Talos glanced at his master. "Sir?"

Sandar sighed wistfully. "Perhaps not all things change."

Even after the many years which passed, the same colorful trinkets of human treasures neatly adorned her wooden desktop, giving the room a rather bright appearance.

Ari looked around her room; nothing really changed. Her father did not seem to bother rearranging anything, to her satisfaction, as much as he disapproved of the way she organized it. Besides clothing, her bag was filled with even more human valuables to decorate her room with. She randomly picked up a beautiful human hairpiece made by the natives whom she befriended while she attended the seminary. The dried flowers gave off a slight fragrance which had not been unpleasing to the senses. If only she could carry more like these back home...

"I see you still have the tendency to pick up whatever human rubbish you can find on the grounds."

Gently as she could Ari placed the hair ornament upon her dresser so the fragile flowers would not be damaged. "They are _not_ rubbish, Father; they are works of art. I ask that you please be careful when handling them."

The senator scoffed at his daughter's remarks. "How you fondle them as if they were pets."

"Speaking of pets, where are Orsa and Kale?" Ari asked as she started unpacking her things from her handcrafted tapa bags.

"Hmm?" Sandar gave no indication he even heard the question.

"Orsa and Kale." The female chimp turned toward her father, who was now holding up one of her souvenirs from the seminary, a human tool of some kind which helped them cut meat. He curiously sniffed at it, and turned it over for further examination, obviously not paying attention to any word she said. Ari cleared her throat loudly. "My pets?"

Sandar woke from his reverie with a start. He suddenly looked confused as confused can be. "Your... pets?"

Ari sighed. "Remember I took in two stray human cubs all those years ago, the ones who lost their mother? Altair was about to put them into slavery, young as they were, the poor things, and I saved them before he could do so. I entrusted you to take care of them while I was gone, remember?"

"Ah, yes, yes... Eh... What about them?"

"Well? Where are they?" his daughter insistently demanded.

The aging senator merely stood there for a while, trying to reach back into his memory. Ari waited anxiously for his answer, fearing the worst. His eyes widened once he remembered: "Your pets... right." A pause. "I let them go."

"_What?_"

"I'm sorry, Ari, but I could not keep them in the house any further. They've reached an age where controlling them is no longer possible for an old crone like myself... Even Talos couldn't keep watch over them."

Ari slumped into the nearest chair. So. Her father got rid of the pets she adored as a child without even caring whether she would approve of his decision. No wonder he seemed to ignore her questions about them everytime they wrote to each other. So what happened to the two humans, then? Hopefully they were all right now, unless...

"You didn't sell them to Limbo, did you?"

"No," Sandar answered to her relief. "I knew you wouldn't approve if I've done so. I let Talos release them into the wild during the middle of the night."

_Thank goodness for that, at least._

At that moment, Talos arrived at the door.

"Sir," the servant addressed as he bowed, "Commander Altair and the captain are here to see you. They have just arrived by horse."

Sandar placed the human knife in his daughter's hands and hurried toward the living room. "Thank you, Talos. Please tend to our guests; I will receive them shortly."

As the two older apes hurried out of the room, Ari was left alone to her own thoughts once again--though not for long. The human servant -Bon, so she heard her father briefly mention- entered her room quietly, meek as a mouse, with a tray of water and fruit in her hands. The female ape took the time to observe her human. The woman was dressed rather conservatively, unlike the primitives of the city outskirts and the grounds nearby the seminary. Her facial features and hair coloring were peculiar--it was apparent she was not native to this land. Her movements were rather catlike and graceful... quite interesting to watch.

When eye contact was made, Bon was the first to instantly turned her face away from her mistress. "My apologies," she softly muttered, not sparing a minute to head towards the bedroom door once she accomplished her duty.

Ari frowned. "Apologies for what?"

"For showing disrespect, miss," Bon said, her eyes still facing downward.

"But you haven't done anything to--"

Talos's harsh and deep voice interrupted her. "Human! Come out here and help clean the kitchens." Before Ari could stop her, Bon was already gone. Soon another voice followed suite.

"Ari!" Sandar shouted for his daughter. "Come into the drawing room. I would like you to say hello to the commander and the captain of the army."

Ari rolled her eyes at the thought of seeing Altair again. The last time she saw him he had been jeering at her idea that humans could eventually learn to live with apes in society if given the chance. She respected him as a leader, but Altair was the sort of ape she could never become friendly with. As for the captain... who was he? Last she remembered the position had been empty--it had been for a while. There was never any need for one, since war did not break out very often, if at all. Now...

Well. Obviously it was time to find out.

"Coming, Father."

She quickly groomed herself and resolved to make the greeting brief.

* * *

In the living room, a gentle chuckle came from the massive form of Commander Altair, who sat besides Senators Sandar and Nado. He was fifty-two now, his sleek and shiny black fur turning into a pale gray, which blended in with the silver fur already on his back. The chimp captain, Thade (who was bestowed a promotion four years ago), stood besides his mentor. "I wonder, my friend," Altair mentioned to his host, "whether your daughter still retains her... delightful personality."

Sandar winced at his comment. Did he mean that sarcastically? "You will find out soon enough..."

Nado proceeded to help himself with the ripe guava from Talos's serving tray. It was his turn to speak: "I sincerely hope young Ari's interests in humans have changed at least. Quite bizarre for an ape to be so concerned for their kind."

_I doubt her interests changed at all,_ a depressed Sandar thought. If anything, Ari's been even more radical in her opinions about humans ever since she's returned. It was impossible to even try and change her back into the little human-fearing ape she had been many seasons ago.

"It is not bizarre, Senator, but shameful," Thade coldly remarked, disdain coating his voice. He turned to look at Sandar specifically, which made the old ape feel uneasy. "Apes should not be bothered with the affairs of other creatures, _especially_ humans."

Altair nodded profoundly. "Well said, captain, I couldn't have stated it any better." He smiled proudly at Thade. "You have learned well from your teacher." The silverback gorilla leaned forward towards the two politicians and servant opposite of him. "Ari is too naive and sightless in her ways. It is apparent your daughter should understand it is not in her position to care so much for vermin, and--"

"And it is apparent that _you_ should understand, Commander, that all apes are entitled to his or her own opinion..." His speech was suddenly cut off by a slight figure which just recently appeared. "...whether or not it agrees with the universal view." Ari, hidden by the shadows, folded her arms across her chest and reclined casually against the wall in a comfortable position. Her piercing eyes were directed at the gorilla only, and she took no notice of anyone else in the room. "Commander Altair," she politely addressed. A slight smile formed on the corner of her mouth. "After all these years you remain the condescending chauvinist you were years ago."

The commander flared his nostrils in a menacing manner toward the concealed ape, while Sandar looked as if he was about to suffer a massive stroke. Though Altair, for a moment, seemed as if he were ready to tear somebody apart, he somehow managed to regain his composure and bitterly grinned. "Ari. After all these years, you still keep your... distinct charm about you." Altair snorted and leaned back into his seat.

"Father," Ari hotly spoke, never taking her eyes off Altair, "if the commander is here to further insult me then I will ask to be excused. I do not wish to be welcomed in such a manner."

When Sandar was about to reply to his daughter, Altair interrupted, "I apologize, my dear, for speaking of you in such a distasteful way. I promise not to be offensive again." He paused. "Come out into the light so we can better see you."

Ari was about to publicly defy the commander and ignore his command, but she thought better of the decision. She did not want to embarass her father any further.

When the warm light of the candles casted its glow upon her face, she stopped to see everybody more clearly. They all looked considerably older, though her father's colleague, Nado, looked about the same as he did years ago. Thade appeared to have grown slightly taller, while, if possible, Altair seemed to have lost some considerable weight. When she was done studying them, she stood back and noticed they were still staring. Apparently the group hadn't been finished with her yet, namely Altair and Nado, who wore shocked expressions. The captain looked a bit startled, but only for a short while, and quickly returned to his indifferent self as usual.

Nado was the first to recover. "Only four years," he muttered, "and look what you've become. You are the splitting image of your mother when she had been younger."

It was only minutes ago when there had been tension bubbling between the commander and the senator's daughter--now Altair's face softened, as did his voice. "Your daughter is quite lovely, Sandar, now that she has grown."

Ari drew back, startled as well as the rest of them--she had not been prepared to receive such praises. Surely she could not have changed so much, especially within the short time period in which she had been gone? "Thank you," she quietly said. Unsure what to do next (as the guests were still staring at her even after all this time) the female chimp sat herself in the nearest available chair.

Suddenly at the next second everyone seemed to have recovered. Sandar was the first to break the silence.

"Any word about the human problem, commander?"

Altair let out a gentle snarl and frowned. "I'm afraid it grows worse by the hour. I regret to say that I am displeased with General Krull's lack of attention dealing with this delicate issue. Lately I have been starting to question his leadership skills..."

"Yes," Nado offered, "but Krull has been a general for many years, even longer than you have been as a commander. I don't believe he will fail us now..."

"That is true. However, there are too many wild humans about the city. It isn't safe--"

"What sort of problem are you talking about?" Ari quickly interjected.

The commander glared at the young chimp sitting across from him, apparently annoyed that she had rudely interrupted his speech. "Each day there seems to be more and more of those savages moving into the city. For the last several weeks there have been many reports of theft coming from the borderlines, and we can only guess who the bandits are."

"Are you sure it was the humans?"

"Who else?"

Leaning forward to Altair, Ari demanded intensely, "Must you always judge them so quickly? At least acquire some proof before you reach your verdict."

"There were footprints found near the sites," Thade added. "_Human_ footprints."

"Yes, but their footprints are all over the city. There are slaves and domestics everywhere, even surrounding us right now. How can you possibly tell it was a human that did it and not an ape?"

"Only humans are capable of such deviousness."

Ari rolled her eyes at the suggestion. "Oh, and I suppose this is yet another ridiculous decree of the government: Blame the humans for everything terrible that happens."

When she heard a low growling sound coming from Thade's throat, Ari knew she had reached her limits and shrunk back from the conversation. Such a pity... it was perhaps their fourth meeting ever, yet she still haven't managed to gain his respect, or Altair's, for the matter. She remembered having a crush on him at one point in her life, but that was insignificant given her age at the time; now, she didn't know what to feel about Thade. All the females at her school never passed a day without gossiping about potential mates, and at least half of them were more than interested in the Commander's student, now the captain of the ape army, who seemed to be the highest ranking available male. Ari was different in this sort of respect--she didn't like to gossip at all. It was all hot air, in her opinion... It was that, aside from her soft spot for humans, which totally separated Sandar's daughter from the other girls. Sometimes when she walked by a certain group they would snicker and point at her, saying that she would wind up with a human as a husband one day. When Ari pretended she didn't hear them, they would resume talking about their appearances, seminary teachers, and Thade.

But he _is_ quite a catch, she somewhat agreed--his bloodlines is history in itself and his potential for power is unquestionable... not to mention his family is quite wealthy, as well. What female wouldn't want a chance to court him? Even her father, many years ago, vaguely hinted his interest for her to pursue the captain in the future. _"He would make a fine husband one day, my dear."_

Ari scoffed at the remark. What makes him think the captain would give _her_ the time of day? They were, by far, much too different to even hope for a friendly relationship, nevermind romantic.

No, it would never work out between them--it was a laughable suggestion to even think so.

She took a fresh piece of leaf from Talos's serving tray and started to nibble on it absent-mindedly. Still, there were times when she wanted him to glance at her, just for the sake of making her feel secure. Most classmates she knew were already being courted by males from another nearby seminary and the army training camps...

She immediately thought of her only childhood friend. "Father, may I visit Leeta? I haven't seen her for so long and I want to see how she is."

Sandar looked at his daughter. "Will you be long?"

"I promise I will be back well before nightfall..."

"Very well. Be careful out there!"

Ari wasted no time leaving the stuffy room -- at least she would enjoy herself in the presence of more interesting company.


	4. CHAPTER 2

**CHAPTER II**

"_Everything changes but change._"  
-Israel Zangwill

Spending time with Leeta brought back many wistful memories for Ari. Like all children must do eventually, the thin and small ape she knew back when they were just learning to climb trees had changed, now that she was older. Her locks were no longer messy or tangled, but they were now straight and soft, while her stick-skinny body had grown considerably into a very flattering figure. Perhaps the most drastic change was not in her appearance, but in her character...

For all the years Ari had known her best friend, she was the quietest thing on the face of the planet. When she first started schooling, Leeta was always found playing by herself and purposely avoiding the other ape children, including Ari (in the beginning). Sometime during the second week of class the others made fun of her and called her 'Bush Head,' and it was later on that Ari found her poor classmate huddled in a lonely hole of a tree trunk with tears streaming down her thin face. She was the only one who bothered to comfort the upset ape. After that incident they quickly became friends and totally secluded themselves from the rest of the group; ever since Leeta never spoke much to anybody except for the senator's daughter, nor did she care about forming other social ties. Ari always liked her because she was not like the other females, who only cared about looks, males, and other petty things, even at their ridiculously young age.

Now...

"You know I missed you dearly, Ari, but you caught me at such an awkward timing!" Leeta exclaimed while she tried to straighten her large comb and brush collection. "I had been fixing my hair by the time you knocked on the door. I'm expecting several visitors -just some apes you might recognize from a long time ago- to come here very shortly, and since Kalb is coming--"

"Kalb?"

Leeta swung around on her rotating chair away from her vanity mirror. "You don't know Kalb?" she demanded, as if Ari was the first ape who didn't seem to know who Kalb was.

"I was away at the high seminary for the past several years...?"

"Oh... right." Ari's friend returned her attention towards the mirror. Grabbing a random carved bone necklace from her vast jewelry collection (perhaps _vast_ is an understatement), she replied very casually, "Kalb is currently courting me right now."

Ari tried to hide the look of surprise on her face--since when was her friend interested in males? Last time they spoke, both mutually agreed to stay away from their kind. Most of the males their age were still considered immature, after all. How much things change when you're away for so long! "I see..."

"He's a soldier from the Red Army. We met at a mutual friend's dinner party and... well, here we are! His father is quite rich, you know -- owns a jewelry business. That's where I get all these beautiful necklaces from. I also hear he's being considered for a promotion by the general himself," Leeta boasted, her eyes looking as if she just found gold. "Altair and Krull have to retire sooner or later, so we'll need younger apes to take their place. Those two are sprouting gray all over! Besides, what if they're killed in battle or something?"

Ari's eyes went wide. "Those are horrible thoughts, Leeta!"

"We are at war, dear Ari." Leeta shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, close to it, anyway. I'm just saying that Kalb could be the next army officer commanding legions of troops into battle! Isn't that exciting?"

_Quite exciting, but why would I care?_ Trying not to roll her eyes at her friend, the liberal female gently spoke, "And what about Thade? I hear he's the one who's moving up the ladder."

A soft sigh escaped from Leeta's bright pink lips. "I've forgotten about him. He's quite a distinguished character, isn't he?"

Now _that_ was an entertaining thought. Thade is quite a character, Ari had to agree, but distinguished? Perhaps, but there were better descriptions. She tried to think of some words that could describe the chimp officer she had seen so rarely in her life, but strangely she could only come up with the word _cold_. That had been her thought when she first laid her eyes upon him, and ever since he hadn't changed. "I suppose he is..."

There was a loud ringing sound coming from the outer chambers of the house.

"They're here!" Leeta quickly turned to Ari, "Do I look all right?"

Ari took a long look at her friend; honestly, she thought her face had looked like a painting gone all wrong... but that was simply too harsh to say, especially considering it was their first meeting in years. "Lovely," she reluctantly lied without looking at Leeta's face. She _really_ couldn't stand her hot pink lip coloring.


End file.
